At 08.00hrs this morning it was hot in Palembang, Indonesia ? and as the sun set at the end of a very exciting day, it was still very hot ! With 33C / 96Fh, the World Cup athletes captivated the spectators from start to finish in what turned out to be a day of celebration for some and disappointment for others.

First off was the World Cup Ladies Slalom Semi-Finals. Nine Skiers chased four Finals places. Australia?s Karina Nowlan arrived on site just hours ago last night but had the energy to set the early lead with 2.5 buoys on the 12m line. Only World Record Holder Regina Jaquess USA could better this with a score of 3 Buoys on the same rope. This forced a run-off between four Skiers for the remaining two Finals places ? and it was April Coble Eller USA and Anais Amade FRA who rose to the top in that second battle. .

The Men?s Slalom Semi-Final saw 15 Skiers chasing six Finals places. Again we had an exciting run-off between five contenders for the last four places. Joel Wing AUS and World Record Holder Chris Parrish USA impressed all and took their Finals places without drama. The five who had to return to the water once again left the dock on the 12m line. The four who eventually made it through were Nate Smith USA, Will Asher GBR, Thomas Degasperi ITA and Carlo Alais ITA. What a Final that should be tomorrow !

Wakeboard came next and here again there were some real surprises. Women?s Semi-Finals came first, followed by the Men?s Quarter Finals. In the Women?s event, there were outstanding performances from Nicola Butler GBR, Chen LiLi CHN, Bec Gange AUS and of course Raimi Merritt USA. All got through to avoid the Last Chance Qualifier on Sunday. The few surprises who must face the LCQ tomorrow include Sian Hurst IRL, Amber Wing AUS, Miku Asai JPN and Caroline Djupso SWE.

Massi Piffaretti ITA

The Men?s Wakenoard Quarter Finals produced a sensation when the Europe Africa Champion Massi Piffaretti ITA outshone even the World Champion Harley Clifford AUS today. That guarantees a fascinating Semi-Finals and Final on Sunday. As ever, Andrew Atkison USA produced a flawless run, as did David O?Caoimh IRL. Both went straight through to the next round. Tony Iacconi AUS and Shota Tezuka also sailed through. Surprisingly, World Cup Stars Sam Carne GBR, Marcelo Giardi BRA, Dan Nott GBR and Daniel Powers USA must face the LCQ test with the others on Sunday morning. By the time we get to the Wakeboard Finals on Sunday afternoon, more surprises are likely to be on the cards.

Jacinta Carroll AUS

As some clouds darkened the sky on Saturday afternoon, the Women Jumpers almost all had personal best scores of over 50m. It was a very strong field. While Manon Costard FRA and Nancy Chardin FRA struggled to get a good score on the board, Marie Vympranietsova GRE set the target to beat at 44.0m. She held the lead till the last four Jumpers arrived. Jacinta Carroll AUS, looking fully recovered from injury, was the star of the day with a distance of 47.3m. Joining her in the Finals will be Regina Jaquess USA, Lauren Morgan USA and Marion Mathieu FRA.

With eleven men chasing six Jump Finals places, it was always going to be a tough battle with a very high quality entry list. Igor Morozov RUS set the early pace with 53.8m but this was not enough to get through. The top two Jumpers, Ryan Dodd CAN and Freddy Krueger USA headed the scoreboard with tied scores of 59.2m ? a bit lower than usual with the unstable surface water conditions. Felipe Miranda CHI and Damien Sharman also impressed in sharing 58.3m. The last two places went to Kole Magnowski CAN and Scot Ellis USA. Again, this lineup will guarantee a thrilling Final on Sunday.

With Impressive Jump performances also from Indonesian athletes Papul Giritya and Muhammad Zahidi Putu, competing with the World Cup Stars today will certainly help to build their performances in the years ahead.